Shell-competition
Guides
Pagurus samuelis
blueband hermit crab
A small intertidal hermit crab native to the eastern Pacific coast, distinguished by bright blue bands on the legs of adults. It is the most common hermit crab in California. The species exhibits strong shell fidelity, preferentially occupying shells of the black turban snail (Tegula funebralis). Behavioral studies demonstrate that shell acquisition takes priority over feeding when both resources are scarce, and that social isolation heightens aggressive behavior and dominance in shell competition.